Test Taking Strategies

  • What type of tests are there?
  • One type of test is Multiple Choice
  • Short Answer
  • Usually in History or in a Science class they mostly have multiple choice questions.
Types of tests:

Multiple choice By, Nick C
Know if each question has one or more correct option/Read through the test quickly and answer the easiest questions first/ Know if you are penalized for guessing/ Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible answers, this way the choices given on the test won't throw you off or trick you/ Don't keep on changing your answer, usually your first choice is the right one, unless you misread the question.

Essay by,Jake Sirico
- To write an essay you should first plan out you ideas on paper
- A web or bullet points would work great
- Always try to stay on topic
- Give examples
- Strong introduction
- Restate your thesis in your conclusion


Test Taking Strategies: Avra
Read the directions. (Can more than one answer be correct? Are you penalized for guessing? etc.) Never assume that you know what the directions say.
Answer the easy questions first. This will give you the confidence and momentum to get through the rest of the test. You are sure these answers are correct.
Go back to the difficult questions. While looking over the test and doing the easy questions, your subconscious mind will have been working on the answers to the harder ones. Also, later items on the test might give you useful or needed information for earlier items.
Answer all questions (unless you are penalized for wrong answers).
Ask the instructor to explain any items that are not clear. Do not ask for the answer, but phrase your question in a way that shows the instructor that you have the information but are not sure what the question is asking for.
Try to answer the questions from the instructor's point of view. Try to remember what the instructor emphasized and felt was important.
Use the margin to explain why you chose the answer if the question does not seem clear or if the answer seems ambiguous.
Circle key words in difficult questions. This will force you to focus on the central point.
Express difficult questions in your own words. Rephrasing can make it clear to you, but be sure you don't change the meaning of the question.
Use all of the time allotted for the test. If you have extra time, cover up your answers and actually rework the question.

True/ False: Scott C
part of a true sentence must be "true"
If any one part of the sentence is false,
the whole sentence is false despite many other true statements.
Pay close attention to
negatives, qualifiers, absolutes, and long strings of statements
Negatives can be confusing.
If the question contains negatives, as "no, not, cannot"
Drop the negative and read what remains.
Decide whether that sentence is true or false.

If it is true, its opposite, or negative, is usually false

Fill in the Blank: Connor
Look for:
Context or perspective, for links and ideas. Content cues. Capitalization.
Connections:
Words like...And, Also, So, For, Because...all indicate a link to another part of the sentence.
Focus on:
How the sentence is written. These kinds of question most often are testing your vocabulary - what do you know about the word?
Example:
The clerk in the clothing boutique asked the customer, “What’s your __?”
1. A.Age
2. B.Size
3. C.Color
4. D.Religion
The clerk could ask about age, color, or religion, but in a clothing boutique, asking the customer about “size” makes the most sense.
Sometimes you don’t get a list of words from which to choose.
If you get the idea, but you can’t remember the EXACT word -
give a descriptive answer. Sometimes teachers will give partial credit!

Short Answer: Scott W
Use flashcards, writing the key terms, dates and concepts on the front and the definition, event, and explanations on the back.Try to anticipate questions that will be asked on the test and prepare for them. Usually what your instructor emphasizes in class will be on the test.

Robert Willem True/False
When taking a test and answering true or false questions you should ask yourself does this make sense and also look for key words like which statement is NOT true. Also when taking a test use process of elimination. Another good strategy to use when taking a test is to read the question over to make sure you are answering the question right. Usually there are more true answers than false on most tests. If there is no guessing penalty, then guess. You have a 50% chance of getting the right answer.